Technological advances in recent years have made home security gadgets and software more available to homeowners than ever before. Many boast DIY solutions that allow homeowners to monitor their home from their mobile device free of charge. With these low-cost options available, many homeowners may wonder why they would choose a traditional, monitored home security system. While DIY home security can provide a certain level of protection to homeowners, there are many advantages to professional monitoring service that DIY alarm systems cannot provide. Here are just a few of the many benefits of choosing a monitored alarm service for your home.
Not 100% Protected!
One of the biggest problems with DIY alarms is that, not being linked to a monitoring service, you are not 100% protected. Unless there is someone around to hear the alarm, no one will know that your home is being invaded. While many of these self-installed services can be linked to your mobile devices, sending you notifications of a disturbance, this can create a significant delay if you do not check your device as soon as the notification is received. Furthermore, if you are unable to check your phone, such as if you are in a meeting or on a flight, then the alarm system will prove ineffective. With a monitored service, the monitoring company will be alerted immediately of a disturbance, and take the proper steps to protect your property immediately, possibly before you have even been made aware of the disturbance. In this way, monitored services provide superior protection, and can provide a greater peace-of-mind to you and your family.
Provides Immediate Emergency Assistance
As was previously mentioned, monitored alarm services are on call 24/7, and will act immediately in response to a disturbance. In the event of an emergency, whether your home is being burglarized or has caught on fire, time is of the essence. By the time you receive an alert from your DIY alarm and then call for emergency assistance, perpetrators may have fled the scene, or your house may be fully engulfed in flames. A monitored service will call for emergency help as soon as the system detects an intrusion or disturbance of some kind. This can get help to your home as quickly as possible, which can make all the difference in protecting your greatest investment.
Insurance Discounts
Having a professional monitored alarm system installed in your property can actually save you a great deal of money on your homeowners insurance. Depending on your insurance provider and policy, studies have shown that you could save as much as 20% on your insurance premiums by having subscribed to a home monitoring service.